‘I am getting better. Thank you for checking in.’
Rashmika Mandanna suffered a severe hip injury after sustaining a complete tendon detachment while filming a high-energy dance sequence.
Medical experts have advised her to undergo six weeks of complete rest and a structured rehabilitation programme.
Key Points
- Rashmika Mandanna suffered a complete hip tendon detachment while filming a dance sequence and has been advised six weeks of rest.
- Her injury has delayed filming of upcoming pan-India films Ranabaali and Mysaa, highlighting growing concerns over demanding shoots.
- Several Telugu stars, including Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Balakrishna and Pawan Kalyan, have recently suffered injuries during productions.
Rashmika fell down while performing strenuous dance steps and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Doctors noted the injury is rare for actors. It is typically seen in professional athletes undergoing extreme training.
Filming schedules for her upcoming pan-India movies, Ranabaali and Mysaa, are expected to face temporary delays.
When Subhash K Jha contacted Rashmika, the actor confirmed the injury.
“It is true. But I am getting better. Thank you for checking in.”
Tollywood Stunt Safety Concerns
Rashmika is the latest among a long line of A-listers to sustain a grievous injury while shooting.
Ram Charan’s recent wrist injury and intricate surgery frontlines the mounting dangers of A-list stars insisting on doing their own stunts, and the growing redundancy of the body double .
Adivi Sesh, who has sustained serious injuries during shooting, says the risk is still worth taking.
“No one likes getting injured but the risk is for a good performance and a good film, and you leave the rest up to God and the action team.
“My injuries happened during the shooting of Major and Dacoit.
“For Major, the Covid era gave me the time to heal. The Dacoit injury, I’m still recovering from and it’s a big reason for my delays.
“But I’m almost back to normal.
“I vowed to be more careful for sure.
“No one wants to get injured intentionally!”
Kamal Haasan’s Injury History
The current wave of accidents serves as a stark warning that Tollywood makers must prioritise stricter safety protocols, specialized stunt design, and a smarter reliance on VFX over unnecessary physical risk.
Kamal Haasan is hands-down the veteran of oncamera injuries. He has broken 34 bones. This was Kamal Haasan’s 34th bone fracture in the line of duty.
Recalling his most serious injury Kamal Haasan said, “In a Tamil film Kaligan, 10 years ago, I did an action scene in a subway.
“Again, it was a relatively easy sequence. But a car sped up and hit me smack on my spine.
“I landed on top of the car. Then, when it halted, I went under the wheel.
“I dislocated my jaw, my nose was cracked and I had three fractures.
“I thought I’d never walk again. That’s when I made a comedy called Ladies Only to feel better.”
Then again while shooting a Hindi comedy Mumbai Express Kamal Haasan was shooting with a child actor on a motor cycle when the vehicle turned turtle.
To protect the child from injury Kamal Haasan took the full brunt of the fall.
Asked if it was worthwhile to take such risks for a few minutes of thrills, Haasan replied: “Funnily, nothing happens in the really risky shots.
“Accidents happen in the unlikeliest of places.
“But, yes, we actors tend to follow Steve McQueen’s policy: ‘Why use a body-double when you’ve a good body?'”
Ram Charan And Jr NTR Injuries
A string of recent on-set injuries to Tollywood’s top star heroes has raised serious safety alarms for Telugu film producers and directors.
High-profile stars including Jr NTR, Ram Charan, Nandamuri Balakrishna, and Pawan Kalyan have all faced medical setbacks.
Because these leading actors frequently insist on executing high-risk, intense stunt sequences without body doubles, recent filming schedules have ground to a sudden halt, triggering significant financial and timeline anxieties across the industry.
The recent spike in injuries is heavily impacting major, high-stakes film productions.
Jr NTR suffered a severe shoulder injury during an action sequence for his upcoming pan-Indian film Dragon, directed by Prashanth Neel.
Doctors have ordered six to eight weeks of complete rest, forcing a total halt and restructuring of the film’s shooting schedule.
Ram Charan sustained injuries to his hand and near his eye while executing a heavy wrestling sequence for the sports drama Peddi, directed by Buchi Babu Sana.
Nandamuri Balakrishna fractured his ankle/leg during an intense fight sequence for his project NBK111 with Gopichand Malineni.
Given that his team is targeting a December theatrical window, the injury-induced delay has put immense pressure on the production timeline.
Pawan Kalyan recently underwent shoulder surgery in Mumbai while Prabhas has had to travel abroad for multiple knee surgeries stemming from cumulative action-set strain.
Amitabh Bachchan’s Coolie Accident
Filmmakers are caught in a difficult position.
Online fan bases and moviegoers routinely mock actors who opt for body doubles or digital ‘dupes’, pressuring stars into performing their own high-risk choreography.
However, when an actor is sidelined for weeks or months, hundreds of crores of rupees in active production investments sit in limbo.
Amitabh Bachchan almost lost his life while doing a dangerous fight sequence in Manmohan Desai’s Coolie.
On July 26, 1982, Bachchan suffered a life-threatening abdominal injury while filming an action sequence for Coolie at the Bangalore University campus.
The incident triggered a massive national vigil, pushed the actor to the brink of death, and had long-lasting consequences on his health.
Recalling the incident Amitabh Bachchan told Subhash, “I was declared clinically dead. I consider my miraculous revival my second life.
“It was thanks to the amazing doctors that I am alive even today.
“But my health has been problematic since the accident.
“I don’t recommend hazardous stunts to any actor.
“The search for authenticity in the action sequences took me to death’s door.
“I wouldn’t want any actor to risk his life for a few minutes of thrill for the audience.”
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff